The connection between birds and French fiction may, at first sight, not be an obvious one. How ever, in his wide-ranging study, Dr. Walling convincingly establishes the importance of the role played by birds in the works of a representative selection of French novelists and short-story writers, which include major authors such as Balzac, Hugo, Flaubert, Zola, Colecce, Mauriac and Giono as well as lesser-known names of Louis Pergaud and Rene Bazin. The connection between birds and French fiction may, at first sight, not be an obvious one. However, in his wide-ranging study, Dr Walling convincingly establishes the importance of the role played by birds in the works of a representative selection of French novelists and short-story writers from the past two centuries. The list includes major authors such as Balzac, Hugo, Flaubert, Zola, Colette, Mauriac and Giono as well as the lesser-known names of Louis Pergaud and Rene Bazin. Three writers, George Sand, Maurice Genevoix and Claude Michelet receive special attention because of their avowed affection for wildlife in general and birds in particular. By referring directly to the texts, Dr Walling carefully assesses each author's accoun